Scotland is now the first country in the world to make access to period products free of charge a legal right.
Starting Monday, public spaces will be required to provide sanitary products to those who need them, under the new period products law.
It comes nearly two years after Scottish lawmakers unanimously passed the Period Products Bill, which represents landmark legislation to tackle period poverty globally – the lack of access to period products when people cannot afford them.
The initial bill was first introduced by Labor MSP Monica Lennon, who has long seen these products as a basic necessity and believes that providing access to them is important to people’s dignity.
Lennon has been campaigning since 2016 for the Scottish Government to provide period products for free to anyone who needs them and now that a legal requirement has been made, she says, “This is another huge milestone for dignity campaigns. period and grassroots movements that show the difference that progressive and bold political choices can make.”
“As the cost of living crisis unfolds, the Period Products Act is a beacon of hope that shows what can be achieved when politicians come together for the good of the people we serve.”
Under the new law, every council in Scotland will be required to consult with local communities to determine the best locations for people to access menstrual products. Locations will include libraries, swimming pools, public gyms, community buildings, town halls, pharmacies and doctors’ offices.
There will even be a mobile app called PickupMyPeriod for people in Scotland to easily find which products are available at different access points. Home delivery will also be available.
These options will offer period dignity to the one in four women in Scotland who have faced period poverty at some point – a statistic found in pre-pandemic research by social enterprise Hey Girls, which works to tackle period poverty period in the UK. .
The Covid-19 pandemic only compounded the issues surrounding period poverty, as seen in a 2020 study by Plan International UK which found that almost a third of girls and women aged 14 to 21 struggled that year to access or afford menstrual products.
The average period lasts around five days and can add up to £8 a month for pads and tampons, a cost many women in Scotland cannot afford.
Shortly after the landmark legislation to eradicate period poverty was passed, Lennon tweeted: “Proud of what we’ve achieved in Scotland, we’re the first but we won’t be the last.”
Lennon is hopeful that other countries will follow Scotland’s example in giving free access to period products.
Several countries have reduced or eliminated taxes on period products, including Australia, Kenya, Canada, India, Colombia, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Nigeria, Uganda, Lebanon, Trinidad and Tobago and a dozen US states.
New Zealand and Seoul offer free menstrual products at school, and Northern Ireland is considering a similar measure to Scotland.
However, Scotland is the first to give citizens the legal right to access them.
Scotland’s social justice secretary, Shona Robison, says providing access to period products for free is “fundamental to equality and dignity”.
“We are proud to be the first national government in the world to take such action,” says Robison.
As well as ending period poverty, Lennon sees this government move as the start of a massive cultural shift, where the stigma of the period will no longer be tolerated.
“There is more emphasis on menstrual wellness and a renewed focus on addressing medical misogyny.”
